Random musings by people who think about educational psychology and the practice of instructional design

February 9, 2016

How to Quietly Engage Introverts in the Classroom

by
Nicole Hollinger, Pharm.D., PGY1 Pharmacy Practice Resident, University of
Maryland Medical System

I recently graduated from professional
school and stepped out of the classroom as a student - hopefully for good. As a
learner, I always quietly engaged in classroom activities, rarely raising my
hand, terrified of being called on and speaking through a racing heart whenever
forced to do so. I participated in classroom discussions by listening, processing,
answering, debating – but only in my own head. When I reached high school, I began
to overcome my fear of speaking and began to verbalize the thoughts in my head
out loud – but only when I was 1000% sure of the answer. When I ventured off to
college, I regressed into my old habits. I could probably count on one hand the
number of times I raised my hand in college, let alone the number of times I
actually spoke out loud, in those daunting lecture halls. Moreover, I only
raised my hand because participation points required me to do so. I envied the
students who had the courage to speak up and concluded that my classroom
personality was inadequate. Not because I wasn’t engaged in the classroom activities;
but because I was unable to present my thoughts orally to the class. On the
other hand, I tended to thrive in small group discussions where there weren’t 100
pairs of eyes focused on me all at once. I always attributed my classroom
behavior to my self-proclaimed introverted personality. I always wished that I
could participate in more overt ways and engage in classroom discussions, until
now.

Not surprisingly, surveys show
that the majority of educators believe that ideal learners are extroverts.1
Now that I am experiencing classrooms for the first time as the instructor, I
am invested in assuring all personalities types benefit from the experience. There
is no “right” way to participate in classroom activities.Rather, participation can occur in ways that
allow all learners to perform to their best and, perhaps more importantly, in a
way that is most comfortable for the learner. I believe that instructors have
the responsibility to accommodate all types of learners by incorporating a
variety of tactics that allow expression and participation, and here I will
provide some tips for feasible application of this concept.

The purpose of this essay is
not to deter instructors from encouraging oral discussions nor is it to cater
to introverts so that they are not challenged in the classroom; it is simply to
allow multiple forms of expression so as to accommodate the range of
personalities in every classroom. Before we dive into ways to accomplish this
goal, we must understand a few things. First, what are the fundamental
differences between introverts and extroverts? Of course there are varying
degrees of introversion and extroversion, but for simplicity sake the basic difference
lies in the place from which they attain their energy. For the introvert, energy
comes from reflection and thought. For the extrovert, it stems from social
interaction. Second, what does it mean to engage a student? For extroverts, engaging
means verbalizing their thoughts through speech, whereas for introverts it
tends to be non-oral forms of expression. Introverts appreciate self-reflection
and independent time to work. Personally, I savored the “work on your own time”
activities because I had more time to process the information or questions
posed.Which brings me to some quick
tips to engage the quiet learners in the room.

To begin, patience is critical
when hoping to engage an introvert. Give them time to develop their thoughts
internally prior to asking them to express it, whether it be an oral discussion
or a written assignment. For oral discussions, this can be done simply by
waiting at least 10 to 15 seconds before calling on someone in the class.2
The extrovert hand will go up immediately, the introvert needs time to process
what was asked, and additional time to work up the courage to raise their hand.

Second, Emily Klein and Meg
Riordan share an idea of rethinking the participation grade in their essay Participation Penalizes the Quiet Learners.3
They believe that the instructor should promote evidence of learning as a means
of participation. Participation points should not be awarded to any learner who
chooses to express themselves, but rather only to those who bring meaningful
ideas or questions to the discussion. Reward quality, not quantity.

Finally, utilize strategies
that allow the learner preparation time before sharing. Think-pair-share is an
excellent technique that creates a safer environment for the introvert. This
gives them the time to first think through the topic then rehearse what they
want to say before speaking up in front of the whole class.2 Another
option is to use an online discussion board or social media. Posting
reflections challenges the introverted learner to share ideas in a virtual group
setting, but they have more time to formulate their thoughts and work through
their fear prior to participating. Any time you allow time for reflection,
preparation, and rehearsal, you exponentially increase the likelihood of
engaging the introvert, as these are the learning strategies they value most.

As I’ve learned from my
experiences, teaching is complex, challenging, and ever evolving. Optimally engaging
every learner in the classroom is a significant undertaking, but I would argue
not unattainable. However, if we continue to employ unimaginative, “old-school”
teaching methods that consider the extrovert the ideal student, we are doing a
disservice to introverted learners. Activities in the classroom should
challenge all types of learners. Promoting deep thought or self-reflection
engages the introvert while at the same time challenging the extroverts. The
classroom should be designed to encourage all learners, not expect the learner
to conform to a rigid structure.

References:

Meisgeier C, et al. Implication
and Applications of Psychological Type to Educational Reform and Renewal.
Proceedings of the First Biennial International Conference on Education of the
Center for Applications of Psychological Type, Gainesville, Florida. 1994.

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